Activities
Here is an overview of our activities, ranging from ongoing projects, conferences, and a range of collaborative and outreach initiatives.
Invited Talk:
Extreme Experiences & Cultural Self‑Regulation
Online Research Meeting, Monozukuri & Qualitative Research Center, Japan — December 19, 2025
Dominik S. Mihalits was invited by the Monozukuri & Qualitative Research Center in Japan to give a lecture on Extreme Experiences & Cultural Self‑Regulation. In this talk, he explored how individuals navigate extreme psychological experiences through culturally shaped forms of self‑regulation. Drawing on international clinical psychology and qualitative research, he examined how cultural norms, social expectations, and meaning‑making practices influence the way people interpret, manage, and integrate intense emotional or existential states.
Dr. Teppei Tsuchimoto served as an engaged discussant, offering commentary that deepened the dialogue between clinical theory, cultural psychology, and qualitative methodology. The event created space for a concentrated discussion on cultural meaning‑making, self‑regulatory practices, and the lived dynamics of extreme psychological states.
If you would like to listen to the talk, you can access the recording by clicking the link below.
University Webpage: https://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/research/mdz/activities/
Rethinking Trauma: Beyond the Extreme A Critical Inquiry into Small-t Trauma Theory and Its Clinical Implications
Under Review: 02 December 2025
Springer, Current Psychology
Dominik S. Mihalits & Dyveke Drejer
This paper critically explores how the emerging notion of small-t trauma reflects a cultural shift in how psychological suffering is conceptualized, moving trauma theory beyond its traditional association with extreme, life-threatening events. Although the term originates in nonprofessional discourse and lacks clinical recognition, its growing visibility signals a reframing of trauma around subjective experience, developmental harm, and relational wounding. Drawing on psychoanalytic theory, cultural psychology, and the clinical literature, this paper investigates how small-t trauma challenges event-based models by addressing catastrophic events and foregrounding cumulative events every day. While this expanded lens offers a more inclusive understanding of suffering, it also raises concerns about diagnostic ambiguity, semantic inflation, and the pathologization of normative distress. By analyzing small-t trauma not as a clinical category but as a cultural-phenomenological construct, the paper examines what this shift reveals about evolving trauma discourses—and the cultural conditions under which the meaning of trauma itself is being redefined.
Starting Research Project in Japan
At vero eos et accusamus et iusto odio dignissimos ducimus qui blanditiis praesentium voluptatum deleniti atque corrupti quos dolores et quas molestias excepturi sint occaecati cupiditate non provident, similique sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollitia animi, id est laborum et dolorum fuga. Et harum quidem rerum facilis est et expedita distinctio. Nam libero tempore, cum soluta nobis est eligendi optio cumque nihil impedit quo minus id quod maxime placeat facere possimus, omnis voluptas assumenda est, omnis dolor repellendus.
Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit.
Toward a Differentiated Conceptualization of Extreme Experiences and Their Relevance To Integrative Mental Health Theory
Published: 30 October 2025
Springer, Integrative Psychological & Behavioral Science
Volume 59, article number 72, (2025)
Dominik S. Mihalits
Extreme experiences lie at the edges of human existence—and precisely for that reason, they demand the attention of psychology and psychotherapy science. However, in this context, extremes are often interpreted as pathological deviations from an assumed norm. This article argues for a conceptual re-evaluation: extremes should not be understood primarily as symptomatic distortion or disorders, but as potentially meaningful states that are relevant to psychological development. Building on historical, theoretical, and empirical perspectives, an integrative framework model is proposed that analyzes extremes as multidimensional constructs: First, the dimension of intensity describes the extent of emotional, cognitive or physical arousal—from overwhelming overstimulation to emotional numbness. Second, the impact dimension reflects the extent to which an experience can lead to transformation or serve to restore and maintain psychological stability. Third, the demand dimension refers to the mental or physical effort required by a situation, ranging from states of intense exertion to those characterized by ease. Fourth, the control dimension concerns the subjective experience of gaining or losing control. Fifth, the novelty dimension describes the degree of unfamiliarity of an experience within an individual or cultural context, ranging from states of newness to those characterized by ritualism. And sixth, the identification dimension highlights the degree of personal connection to an experience, ranging from strong involvement to detached observation. The proposed model allows for a differentiated view of extreme experiences beyond binary categories such as “normal” vs. “clinically significant.” It understands extremes as a fundamental psychological phenomenon with both destructive and transformative potential. The goal is to develop a theory of extremes that is relevant for both psychological research and psychotherapeutic practice.
Toward a Differentiated Conceptualization of Extreme Experiences and Their Relevance To Integrative Mental Health Theory
Published: 30 October 2025
Springer, Integrative Psychological & Behavioral Science
Volume 59, article number 72, (2025)
Dominik S. Mihalits
Extreme experiences lie at the edges of human existence—and precisely for that reason, they demand the attention of psychology and psychotherapy science. However, in this context, extremes are often interpreted as pathological deviations from an assumed norm. This article argues for a conceptual re-evaluation: extremes should not be understood primarily as symptomatic distortion or disorders, but as potentially meaningful states that are relevant to psychological development. Building on historical, theoretical, and empirical perspectives, an integrative framework model is proposed that analyzes extremes as multidimensional constructs: First, the dimension of intensity describes the extent of emotional, cognitive or physical arousal—from overwhelming overstimulation to emotional numbness. Second, the impact dimension reflects the extent to which an experience can lead to transformation or serve to restore and maintain psychological stability. Third, the demand dimension refers to the mental or physical effort required by a situation, ranging from states of intense exertion to those characterized by ease. Fourth, the control dimension concerns the subjective experience of gaining or losing control. Fifth, the novelty dimension describes the degree of unfamiliarity of an experience within an individual or cultural context, ranging from states of newness to those characterized by ritualism. And sixth, the identification dimension highlights the degree of personal connection to an experience, ranging from strong involvement to detached observation. The proposed model allows for a differentiated view of extreme experiences beyond binary categories such as “normal” vs. “clinically significant.” It understands extremes as a fundamental psychological phenomenon with both destructive and transformative potential. The goal is to develop a theory of extremes that is relevant for both psychological research and psychotherapeutic practice.
Toward a Differentiated Conceptualization of Extreme Experiences and Their Relevance To Integrative Mental Health Theory
Published: 30 October 2025
Springer, Integrative Psychological & Behavioral Science
Volume 59, article number 72, (2025)
Dominik S. Mihalits
Extreme experiences lie at the edges of human existence—and precisely for that reason, they demand the attention of psychology and psychotherapy science. However, in this context, extremes are often interpreted as pathological deviations from an assumed norm. This article argues for a conceptual re-evaluation: extremes should not be understood primarily as symptomatic distortion or disorders, but as potentially meaningful states that are relevant to psychological development. Building on historical, theoretical, and empirical perspectives, an integrative framework model is proposed that analyzes extremes as multidimensional constructs: First, the dimension of intensity describes the extent of emotional, cognitive or physical arousal—from overwhelming overstimulation to emotional numbness. Second, the impact dimension reflects the extent to which an experience can lead to transformation or serve to restore and maintain psychological stability. Third, the demand dimension refers to the mental or physical effort required by a situation, ranging from states of intense exertion to those characterized by ease. Fourth, the control dimension concerns the subjective experience of gaining or losing control. Fifth, the novelty dimension describes the degree of unfamiliarity of an experience within an individual or cultural context, ranging from states of newness to those characterized by ritualism. And sixth, the identification dimension highlights the degree of personal connection to an experience, ranging from strong involvement to detached observation. The proposed model allows for a differentiated view of extreme experiences beyond binary categories such as “normal” vs. “clinically significant.” It understands extremes as a fundamental psychological phenomenon with both destructive and transformative potential. The goal is to develop a theory of extremes that is relevant for both psychological research and psychotherapeutic practice.
Toward a Differentiated Conceptualization of Extreme Experiences and Their Relevance To Integrative Mental Health Theory
Published: 30 October 2025
Springer, Integrative Psychological & Behavioral Science
Volume 59, article number 72, (2025)
Dominik S. Mihalits
Extreme experiences lie at the edges of human existence—and precisely for that reason, they demand the attention of psychology and psychotherapy science. However, in this context, extremes are often interpreted as pathological deviations from an assumed norm. This article argues for a conceptual re-evaluation: extremes should not be understood primarily as symptomatic distortion or disorders, but as potentially meaningful states that are relevant to psychological development. Building on historical, theoretical, and empirical perspectives, an integrative framework model is proposed that analyzes extremes as multidimensional constructs: First, the dimension of intensity describes the extent of emotional, cognitive or physical arousal—from overwhelming overstimulation to emotional numbness. Second, the impact dimension reflects the extent to which an experience can lead to transformation or serve to restore and maintain psychological stability. Third, the demand dimension refers to the mental or physical effort required by a situation, ranging from states of intense exertion to those characterized by ease. Fourth, the control dimension concerns the subjective experience of gaining or losing control. Fifth, the novelty dimension describes the degree of unfamiliarity of an experience within an individual or cultural context, ranging from states of newness to those characterized by ritualism. And sixth, the identification dimension highlights the degree of personal connection to an experience, ranging from strong involvement to detached observation. The proposed model allows for a differentiated view of extreme experiences beyond binary categories such as “normal” vs. “clinically significant.” It understands extremes as a fundamental psychological phenomenon with both destructive and transformative potential. The goal is to develop a theory of extremes that is relevant for both psychological research and psychotherapeutic practice.
Toward a Differentiated Conceptualization of Extreme Experiences and Their Relevance To Integrative Mental Health Theory
Published: 30 October 2025
Springer, Integrative Psychological & Behavioral Science
Volume 59, article number 72, (2025)
Dominik S. Mihalits
Extreme experiences lie at the edges of human existence—and precisely for that reason, they demand the attention of psychology and psychotherapy science. However, in this context, extremes are often interpreted as pathological deviations from an assumed norm. This article argues for a conceptual re-evaluation: extremes should not be understood primarily as symptomatic distortion or disorders, but as potentially meaningful states that are relevant to psychological development. Building on historical, theoretical, and empirical perspectives, an integrative framework model is proposed that analyzes extremes as multidimensional constructs: First, the dimension of intensity describes the extent of emotional, cognitive or physical arousal—from overwhelming overstimulation to emotional numbness. Second, the impact dimension reflects the extent to which an experience can lead to transformation or serve to restore and maintain psychological stability. Third, the demand dimension refers to the mental or physical effort required by a situation, ranging from states of intense exertion to those characterized by ease. Fourth, the control dimension concerns the subjective experience of gaining or losing control. Fifth, the novelty dimension describes the degree of unfamiliarity of an experience within an individual or cultural context, ranging from states of newness to those characterized by ritualism. And sixth, the identification dimension highlights the degree of personal connection to an experience, ranging from strong involvement to detached observation. The proposed model allows for a differentiated view of extreme experiences beyond binary categories such as “normal” vs. “clinically significant.” It understands extremes as a fundamental psychological phenomenon with both destructive and transformative potential. The goal is to develop a theory of extremes that is relevant for both psychological research and psychotherapeutic practice.